Ignition system.



V. ALFYNN. mmnou SYSTEM. APPLICATIOI] FILE!) APR. I3, 1914,

1,216,792. Patented Feb. 20,1917.

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Fig.1.

V. A. FYNN.

IGNITION SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I3. I9I4.

1 16,792. I Patented Feb. 20, I917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- WITNESSES: M l/EN TOR -v A. FYNN. IGNITION SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED APR 13, 1914.

1,216,792. Patented Feb. 20,1917.

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MTNESSES: I I lNl/E/VTOR trol of spring 60.

STAT S PATENT I OFFICE.

VALERE ALFRED FYNN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T0 WAGNER ELECTRIC lVLRN'UFACTUBING COMEAILIJK, OF LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MIS- SOUI'LI.

IGNITION SYSTEM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 20, 1917.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, i liniinn ALFRED Fnvn, a subject of the King of England, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of lvlissouri, United States of America, have invented a certain new and useful Ignition System, of which the following is such a full, clear, and exact description as will en able any one skilled in the art to which. it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to an ignition system for use in connection with internal combustion engines, comprising an automatic switch for changing from vibrator to single sparks and vice versa during the operation of the engine. I

in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 illustrates the preferred form or my ignition system in connection with an automatic switch for changing from vibrator to single sparks and vice versa; Fig. 2 shows a slight modification of the system disclosed in the first figure; and Fig. 3 illustrates a further modification.

Fig. 1 illustrates an ignition system de signed to operate in conjunction with a storage battery and a dynamo electric machine adapted to charge the same. The storage battery is permanently connected to the main brush 5? of the generator 52; the other main brush 56 of said generator is adapted to be connected to the other terminal of the battery through an automatic battery switch.

The generator is excited by means of the shunt winding 54E connected.- between the main brush 5? and the auxiliary brush displaced from the main brushes. This generator is driven from the explosion engine in some convenient manner. The automatic battery switch comprises an armature pivoted at 59 and normally under the con- This armature carries a contact 61 adapted to cooperate with'the stationary contact 62. The core 65, carrying the shunt coil Sal, connected to the main brushes of the generator and the series coil 63 connected between the main brush 56 of the generator and the armature 58 oi the automatic s v ch, is adapted to attract the latter into cont-a t with the station-try ten minal 62.

Thenecondary ignition. circuit the secondary of the spark e more spark gaps such as 5, 6. It is well unlerstood that a distrlbuter would, in general, be used between the secondary l and the spark gaps, but as this does not form a part of my invention, it has not been illustrated.

The primary ignition circuit for producing vibrator sparks comprises the storage battery 35; the primary or exciting coil 3 of the spark coil wound around the magnetic core 2; a circuit breaker comprising the sta tionary contact 7, the contact 8 attached to the movable arm 9, pivoted at 12, normally under the control of the spring 10, but within the range of operation of the cam 11 driven from the explosion engine and adapt ed to periodically lift the breaker arm 9 out of contact with the terminal '7; a timer 4? also driven from the engine, provided with a conducting plate 48 electrically connected to the breaker arm 9 and adapted to cooperate with the stationary brush l6; and a vibrator comprising a spring-mounted armature 31, pivoted at 32, carrying a contact 33 cooperating with. the stationary contact 3i and under the influence ofvthe magnet 29 energized by the series coil 30 connected between the vibrator armature 31 and the timer brush 46. It is seen that the circuit breaker, the timer, and the vibrator are connected in series with the battery. and the spark coil.

The automatic switch 18 is so arranged that in one of its positions, it short-circuits the circuit breaker contacts 8, 7 and in its other position, it sh0rt-circuits the timer and the vibrator contacts 33, 34. This automatic switch comprises a lever 19, pivoted at 20, and held in contact with the terminal 22 by the spring 21, whereby the circuit breaker contacts are short-circuited through the switch 13. An electro-magnet, having a core 2-7, a shunt coil 26 and a series coil 25, cooperates with the switch arm 19 and, when energized, overpowers the spring 21 and forces 19 into contact with the terminal 23, thus shoztcircuiting the vibrator contacts and the timer contacts through the switch 13, the lever arm 19 and the series coil 25. The spring 24 is arranged to give a snap motion to the switch-lever 19. When 19 is in contact with :23, the single spark circuit s established comprising the exciting coil 3, mo circuit breaker contacts 7, 8, the switch 13, lever 19 and the contact 23 and the series coil 25, This single spark circuitis l to revolve.

energized eif'i-her by the storage battery 35 or the dynamo shuns coii 9,6 is normally conneci'led 'So the main. brushes of she clnrough the swirch 4-9, but can be connected at any time across the battery by placing switch i on. point 51.

The dry cells are providefi for use in case she battery shouid -1e temporarily oui. of condition. When the ignition switch 4-? on point 43 then the storage baits 5 circuit with the spark coil. i i hen said switch on point, i l, igni- "iion circuit i: ii ierruptcd; when iix resizs on point 45, "Men the dry cells 36 are included in a circuit wish spark coil and the citcult The switch 13 is s, opein it wili pi "1 the automatic switch 18 from shori3-circufinp ihe cir contacts i r -i'lG ra ter contacts.

n. condenser i? is connected cross ihe circui; lireulzei' contacts 7, 8, and a 28 across the ribrarcr contacts 38 u for she purpose of i niinizing 'Lhe sparkii at said contacts and for improving the operation of the spark coil.

The operation of IJhis improved system may be briefly described as follows: issun'iing; the engine to be at and the switches 13 and 4:9 in the positions showin then the circuit breaker controls 7, 8 will be shor7- circuiced by "he swiich lever 19 of ihe iomai-io switch 18 and, if the position of the inner is such shat the brush (i6 is not in con-- tact with the c ndiicling segment i8, 'bhen the engine will not be able to start on compression when the ignition switch 42 is moved from its off position ll: to its storbattery position 43, but the operator may make an attempt in so start she engine by depressing the hey switch 40. Should ihe en inc fail to start, then it must be cranked, elmermcchanicall y or by hand, thus causing the dynamo 52, the cam 11 and the timer 4:27 The revolution of the cam 1 will periodically lift 8 out of contact with '7, but without aliecting the circuit through the primary winding 3 of the spark coil because of. the short-circuit around said contacts tablished by 19 Bus every iiinethe brush 16 comes into coniact with the segmeni l-S oi? the timer, the vibrator 81 will operate in produce a series of spa rks which will even 'bually fire iihc charge ofthe engine cyiinders. After the engine has started its speed may be increased in the usual manner and will finally reach a point at which the generator will excite. The shunt coil 26 of the automatic switch 18 i so dimensioned. t at when the generator VOl reaches a value -the magnei 2? wiil overpower the 2i. and force the iever 19 into Contact 'wii'h the terminal 23 hereby interrupting the short 1d enser and ciosing short CilCluc around. she

iaer l the vibrator" is soon the lever T as i from to 23, the production oi Vibrator s arlzs will be interrupted and single sparks will be produced instead every time that the cam ll breaks the circuit at the points '7, S The shuntcoil oi the automatic bai-te T switch is dimensioned to at trace the armaiure 58 when the generator voltage a tiproxiinaiely equals that of the bindery "thus connccoin the generator in Jar: llel to the hastery and to the primary of she spark coil through contacts 7, 8. The coil 26 may be dimensioned to close the swiich 18 before the coil 6% attracts the ar' iaiure 5B or is may be arranged to OWE- )ower "the spriop 521 at the same time that the ns; (i0 is overpowered, 'lVhen the generconnected in parallel with "the storaitery, it not; only charges the latter, but als supplies the prin'iary ignition circuit as the engine speed has risen appre- J beyond. that a? which the automatic baixiery switch. has closed. .1- wili. be seen i is quite 'nniaterial when the shortcircui'c around 7,8 is open and hiat around 'ihe timer and the vibrator elosed. If this operaiion is performed when 8 is in. contact with '7' then she opening of the short circuit around these conmcis will obviously not have any effect, and the short-circuiiing of the timer and the vibrator can only suppress the vibrator sparks, if any are being pro duced at the time. If brush 46 is not in contac with the segment 48 when if) is l lirown over to the terminal then 19 only closes the primary ignition circuit, which operation does not produce any spark in the sec ondary. But ii is quite important that the swiach lever 19 shall not interrupt the short circuit around the timer and the vibrator at an inopporiune moment. Should Contact between and 19 be broken when S is in contact with 7 during'most of which time 46 will not be in Contact with 48, then the primary ign";-ion circuit will be interrupted at the point 23 and a single. spark will be produced in she secondary ignition circuit at time when such a spark is not wanted, and may produce backfiring. To obviate this diiiiculty, I provide the series winding. 25 on This coil will be dccnergizcd when the speed of the engine drops low that the voltage generated by the dynamo is less than the terminal Voltage of the battery, when the la'lz'ier will send a discharging our-rent into the generator. This c r; em: passing through the series coil (i3 will oppose the magnetizahion produced by 54: "thus releasing the armai-ure 58 and l. i: "rupiing the connection be saves the brusl; and one pole of the bat-- tery As soon'as the generator voltage has sunk below a certain value, the holding power of the coil 26 will not be sufiicient to withstand the spring 21, and the lever 19 will be released as soon as the cam has lifted 8 out of contact with 7. Should it be desired for any reason to operate the switch 18 independently of the generator, then the switch 4-9 can be opened and placed on point 51 whenever it is desired to pass from vibrator to single sparks. In order to return to vibrator sparks, it is only necessary to again open switch 19.

Fig. 2 differs from Fig. 1 only in that the timer l7 and the cam 11 have been combined. ll ith the switch lever 19 in contact with the terminal 22, vibrator sparks will be produced as long as the cam 11 is in electrical contact with the circuit breaker arm 9. When l!) is in contact with 23, then single sparks will benprmluced every time the cam 11 lifts 8 out of contact with 7. It is not necessary or desirable for 1.) to contact sinmltaneously with 22 and 23. In Fig. 1, the timing of the first vibrator spark relatively to the single spark is entirely unrestricted, because the timer is independent of the cam and circuit breaker arm; but in Fig. 2, this relative timing is lined, because the vibrator circuit must be made through the timer cam 11. almost at the instant when 8 is separated from 7.

In Fig. 3, the automatic switch 18 is applied to an ignition system which can be fed from a storage battery or a dynamo adapted to charge the latter, but in which the circuit breaker contacts 7, 8, adapted to produce single sparks, and the vibrator contacts 33, 3 1, adapted to produce vibrator sparks, are located in pa allel circuits. The automatic switch 18 renders the one or the other circuit inoperative by interrupting same instead of short-circuiting it as is the case in Figs. 1 and 2. The operation of the dynamo and the automatic battery switch is as before, and the ignition switch may either interrupt the primary ignition circuits or feed the one or the other either from the battery or "from the dry cells. .Vith the ignition switch 42 in the position 43 and with the spring 21 in control of the lever 19 of the automatic switch 18, the primary ignition circuit can be traced from the battery 35 through the primary 3 of the spark coil. to the stationary contact 34- of the vibrator, the contac attached to the vibratile element thereof pivoted at 32, the energizing coil 30 wound around the core 29, the brush d6 cooperating with the timer 47 and periodically contacting with the conducting segment 48 connected. to the terminal 23 of the automatic switch 18, through the lever 19 thereof, and back to the battery through the ignition switch 12. After the Voltage of the dynamo has risen sufiiciently to fully energize the coil 26 of the automatic switch, the core 27 thereo; will attract the lever 19, overpowering the spring 21, and will cause said lever to break contact with the terminal 23 and to connect with the terminal 22, whereby the vibrator circuit will be interrupted and the single spark circuit closed as follows: from the negative pole of the. battery 35 through the primary 3 of the spark coil, the stationary contact 7 of the circuit breaker, the contact 8 attached to the circuit breaker arm 9 pivoted at 12, the series coil on the magnet 27, the terminal the switch lever 19, and back to the battery through the ignition switch 12. It is preferred to arrange for the lever 19 to make contact with the terminal 22 before breaking contact ith Here again it is immaterial when the lever 19 leaves 23 and contacts with 22, but it sparks at inop 'iortune moments are to be avoided, then 19 must not leave to contact with except when the single spark circuit is interrupted at the points 7 and S,

This condition is met in the same manner as in Figs. 1 and 2 by providing a series coil 25 connected in series with said contacts.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters-Patent oi. the ii'nited States is:

1. In an ignition system for combustion engines, a secondary ignition circuit, an GXW citing coil. tor energizing said secondary circuit, two circuit breakers for the exciting coil, one comprising a vibratile element, and means operating to continuously maintain one or the other of said circuit breakers in electrically inoperative condition.

2. In an ignition system for combustion engines, a secondary ignition circuit, an exciting coil tor energizing said secondary circuit, a source of current for the exciting coil, two circuit breakers for the said coil, one comprising a vibratile element and each connected to the source of current, and a single switch cooperating with both circuit breakers and adapted to render either circuit breaker electrically operative or inoperative.

In an ignition system for combustion engines, a secondary ignition circuit, an citing coil for energizing said secondary circuit/two circuit breakers for the exciting coil, one comprising a vibratile element, a single switch adapted to cooperate with both circuit breakers and to render either electrically operative or inoperative, and means dependent on the speed of the engine for operating said switch to render the vibratile circuit breaker inoperative.

l. In an ignition system for combustion engines, a secondary ignition circuit, an exciting coil for energizing said secondary circuit, two circuit breakers for the exciting coil, one comprising a "vibratile element, and means for maint ining a shunt circuit the terminal cuit, two circuit breakers for the exciting coil, one coi'nprising a vibratile element, and a single switch for establishing a shunt circuit around the contacts of either circuit breaker.

6. In an ignition system for combustion engines, a. secondary ignition circuit, an exciting coil for energizing said secondary circuit, two circuit breakers for the exciting coil, one comprising a vibratile element, and a switch for establishing a shunt circuit around the contacts of either circuit breaker and simultaneously connecting the other circuit breaker in circuit with theexciting coil.

7. In an ignition system for combustion engines, a secondary ignition circuit, an exciting coll for energizing said secondary circuit, two circuit breakers for the exciting coil, one comprising a vibratile element, a single switch cooperating with both circuit breakers and adapted to render either cir cuit breaker electrically operative or inoperative, and means for preventing movement of said switch to place the vibratile circuit breaker in operative circuit while the contacts of the other circuit breaker are in closed position.

8. In an ignition system for combustion engines, a secondary ignition circuit, an. exciting coil for energizing said secondary cir' cuit, two circuit breakers for the exciting coil, one comprising a vibratile element, a

single switch cooperating with both circuit breakers and adapted to render either circuit breaker electrically operative or inoperative, means for operating said switch to render the vibratile circuit breaker inoperative, and electromagnetic means for holding said switch in said last named position while the contacts of the other circuit breaker are in closed position.

9. in an ignition system for combustion engines, a secondary ignition circuit, an exciting coil for energizing said secondary circuit, on engine operated circuit breaker the exciting coil, yibratile circuit breaker for said coil, timer switch operated by the engine and in circuit with the vibratile circuit breaker, a switch for rendering the vibratile circuit breaker inoperative and connecting the ermine operated circuit breaker in operative circuit with the cuit, two circuit breakers for the exciting coil, one comprising a vibratile elen nt,

smgle switch cooperating with both jc cult;

breakers and adapted. to render either breaker electrically operative or inoper' ive, and means for preventing movement 01 said switch during a portion of each engine cycle.

11. In an ignition system for combustion engines, a secondary ignition circuit, an enciting coil tor energizlng said secondary circuit, two circuit breakers for the exciting coil, one comprising a vibratile element, a single switch cooperating with both circuit breakers and adapted to render either'circuit breaker electrically operative or inoperative, and electromagnetic means controlling said switch, said means comp ising a coil in circuit with the movable element of the switch when in its attracted position.

12. In an ignition system for combustion engines, a secondary ignitioncircuit, an eX- citing coil for energizing said secondary circuit, a dynamo electric machine driven by the engine, two circuit breakers for the exciting coil, one comprising a vibratile ele-' ment, a single switch cooperating With-both circuit breakers and adapted to render either circuit breaker electrically operative or inoperative, electromagneti" means controlling said switch, said means comprising a coil in circuit with the movable element of the switch when in its attracted position and a coil in circuit With the dynamo electric machine. i

13. In an ignition system for combustion engines, a secondary ignition circuit, an exciting coil for energizing said secondary circuit, a dynamo electric machine driven by the engine, two circuit breakers for the exciting coil, one comprising a vibratile element, a switch adapted to render either circuit breaker electrically operative, and means governed by the current generated. by the dynamo for operating said switch.

in testimony whereof, l have hereunto set my hand and afliXed my seal in the presence of the two subscribing witnesses.

ALERE ALFRED FYNN. [1,. s]

Witnesses N. i ALEXANDER, G. M. Snore.

" atent be obtained for this cents each, by addressing the Eommissioner of Patents,

Washington, 13. 3. 

